All the Wrong Reasons
by mikeewrites
Summary: Sakura has expected to see Sasuke again with the news that he was in Konoha during Hanabi's kidnapping. But when she got back, he was nowhere to be seen. A year has passed, Sasuke started to slip away from her thoughts and soon Sakura stopped waiting, but he didn't.
1. The Sea After a Storm

**I – The Sea after a Storm**

The war felt it would never end, but it did. After the disaster with Hanabi's kidnapping, I really could use years of rest. A lot of things happened and a lot of things changed. Everyone is on greener pastures lately, Naruto and Hinata especially. Whenever they're together, they're like dandelions dancing in the wind, so pleasant and delicate. Their relationship is slowly developing, and I am happy for them.

Things returned as they usually do, I train with Tsunade-sama whenever we both have the time, and I have shifts at the hospital now, too.

I don't get missions now since Kakashi-sensei told me to focus on my job at the hospital. Life's been much normal now. I try to always be positive about everything.

Except for one.

There's always this lingering feeling of nostalgia and missing home.

There's him.

Sasuke.

After Hanabi's kidnapping, he disappeared. No word, no nothing. He protected Konoha, even though no one asked him to. He helped while we we're out rescuing. When we got back, he was gone. Although he left traces, they we're nothing but rumors. I had so much pain that time that I couldn't even worry myself to where he was now.

It gets tiring too. After his fight with Naruto, I looked forward to his return, like finally catching that firefly you'd been trying to catch for hours. I thought I did, but of course, as always, I was wrong. I knew I couldn't make him stay. I tried anyway.

If anything else, I could master every jutsu by tomorrow and he would still be gone.

Thinking about Sasuke is painful, in all honesty. I have always held in my heart his name, the thought of him, and our bonds. And then when he's right there, these doesn't seem to matter. He wouldn't stay. Not again. But I still find myself longing, loving him. It's stupid really. I'm holding on to a hair in this universe of pain.

That's why it was a shock to find him so casually.

/

It was just past 9 in the evening, I was home from work, and some guy just asked me out to dinner, to which I politely declined. As I walked home, I regretted declining his request. Why didn't I say yes anyway? Of course I knew the answer. Nevertheless, telling him I changed my mind would be stupid. I resorted to walking around the village.

The stars danced in the moonlight and there were barely any clouds to hide them. It was the perfect night the only problem was, where would I go? Naruto would probably be with Hinata or laughing his guts out with Kiba and Lee. Ino would just bore me with talk of Sai and we would probably be clawing at each other before the night is over. Tsunade-sama is out of town and Kakashi-sensei is too busy. Everyone seemed too busy all of a sudden.

So I went into the academy, chunins are already home and the only people left would be teachers. But I wasn't there for anyone, not really. As I got there, I went to familiar spots, and lingered, not really knowing why I went, but was glad I did.

The clocked ticked, but I didn't mind. I knew it was late, barely anyone was out. You can hear the leaves dancing now, such is the name of Konoha. Swirling and swirling they went. I decided I would go to where the wind took me.

But the wind always finds exit. And exit meant the outskirt of town.

And it meant that place.

That place I have avoided as much as I can. It only reminded me of how foolish I was, not being able to stop him, thinking I could convince him. Crying, pleading, please stay.

So I stood there. Nothing was different, I could guess that the night Sasuke left was just as cold as this one. The forest still loomed, dark and scary, like trying to fool you into leaving. The stone pavements still the same, cracks unchanging, and of course, the bench where he left me.

Everything was the same. Except this time, Sasuke was sitting there.

It took me a moment, it was like seeing a ghost and I was out of words suddenly. It felt like the whole world froze, I wish it did.

"S-sasuke..?" I said stupidly. I knew it was him. I'd know him anywhere.

He looked at me, so slow, so wary, like a hunter seeing a prey. He sat there, and just looked at me. I didn't know what to say then. If I did, it might make him go away again. But then again, nothing seemed to make him stay.

"..Sakura." He replied after forever. His voice like a cold shower after a hot day. Our eyes lingered, I could feel him waiting for an answer.

"You...You're here." I said stupidly again. It was just so surreal. I had to focus myself and see if it was indeed Sasuke's chakra, it was. It was him.

He's here.

Sasuke stood up. And walked to me, close enough for me to hear his breathing.

His eyes looked at me still, they were unending darkness, the sea after a storm.

It took a moment, but I realized, he's just as speechless as I was.

"Are you staying?" I wanted to know. I wanted to know if he was going away again, so I didn't have to feel pain again. So he wouldn't have the chance to give me hope and tear it away like flowers from a bush.

"Just tonight." He said so casually that it hurt.

"Sasuke, I-" Sasuke seemed to frown, a hair of a frown, but I noticed it. His face was art, and I looked at it with extreme attention.

"Until you leave anyway." He said. It caught me off guard.

"You're staying until I leave you." I said as if asking a question. It felt weird. Like meeting him again after that night in this same place. His last farewell with me and Kakashi seemed so far away now. This felt like the world. It was just the two of us. I had hoped he would say what he wanted to, now that he had someone who will listen to anything he will say, just to hear his voice again.

"I am." I felt my face heat up, my eyes watering, I looked down to prevent myself from crying. I knew I was tired. I knew I couldn't take it anymore.

"You're leaving again, then?" I asked hotly, my face still avoiding his gaze.

"I'm afraid I have to." His answer felt like a stab. A stab that I couldn't avoid. And when you're hurt, you shout out of pain.

"Then leave." I said, I stood my ground. I looked at him then, my eyes betrayed me. I hoped I looked strong, but my eyes poured down, every emotion I felt for him was exploding.

"Leave now if you're leaving again, Sasuke. You say you're staying until I leave? Did you have something to tell me? Something to build me up again? Something make me lose sleep over to?!" I said, tears fell down and down.

"Tell me now! So this time _I _can leave! And then it's your turn to see someone turn their back on you!" I approached him, he didn't take a step back.

"I thought the next time I see you, you would finally stay. Of course not. Stupid. I'm going to wait anyway, won't I?! Sakura Haruno will always be by the bench waiting for you, right?" I shouted. I wouldn't be surprised if people came rushing now.

"I waited Sasuke, how can you just say that? Is it so easy to leave us?! To leave me?" Of course it was. Who am I to Sasuke Uchiha anyway?

"I'm sorry. It's annoying isn't it? You come back and I start shouting at you."

"You never waver. And yet here I am, still trying and trying, tell me if that isn't tiring-" I was shoving him now, but he didn't budge or staggered. Sasuke caught my hand then.

"Sakura."

"What?! Are you going to tell me again I'm annoying?! Or are you going to say you're sorry?" I looked at him, his face foggy, my eyes stung, and yet tears still fell.

He leaned in close then, so close that I couldn't see anything. Then all I could remember were his eyes that looked like the sea after a storm.


	2. Back To Home

My head is pounding. Like someone has been trying to wake me up for hours. My eyes puffy and my face swollen. I jerked awake, I sat so fast the world spun. I was in a hospital bed. Beside me, a bunch of sunflowers and three packs of ramen sat on the bedside table. A note on top was attached.

_Sakura-chan, get well! Stop stressing yourself. Have some ramen. Never fails to revive me. –Naruto_

_PS. Hinata bought those Sunflowers. Get well soon!_

I smiled. I hoped I caught them. The sunflowers were still fresh, maybe I was out for maybe a whole night? I looked at the clock, it's 10 in the morning.

I heard footsteps outside.

"Yeah she's okay now. Naruto came by with Hinata, they stayed for an hour and he says they'll be back in the afternoon." Ino comes in the room with Kakashi.

"Ah, Sakura. You're finally awake." Ino sets a teacup in her bedside. She gives to Sakura.

"Sakura, how are you doing?" Kakashi asked, he still wore his Hokage robes.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei, I'm okay now. I, I'm sorry for worrying you I'm okay now."

"It's okay. I'm just making sure you're okay. I'll be going then. I'm glad you're awake." Kakashi bids goodbye to Ino and Sakura.

"So, you're finally awake. Let me be the first one to know what on earth we're you doing sleeping on a bench in the outskirts?" Ino asked, folding her arms around her.

"I—" I suddenly remembered everything. Sasuke did what he usually did, making me sleep when he found me too annoying.

"You we're wrapped in some kind of blanket too." Ino gestured to my right, it was the robe Sasuke wore. She smiled at me knowingly.

"I just—" I resorted to lying. It would be too complicated to tell the truth.

"Sasuke, eh?" Ino said it with a smirk as if she knew everything that happened.

"H-how did you?" I asked, lowering the teacup to its saucer.

"Sakura, I swear, your forehead can absorb all these medical stuff and you're still naïve as a rabbit." The annoyance in Ino's voice made it feel like there was something so obvious that I should know. But I didn't.

"What are you talking about?"

"Sasuke, he brought you here last night. Someone told me. He said you were crying so much. So he had to make you unconscious. You we're probably hyperventilating." Ino shrugged. I felt my cheeks flush. He did it again.

"He waited 'til morning you know. Atleast until Naruto showed up. Then he told him he'll be going." Too many questions buzzed inside my head.

"H-how do you know all this?" Ino laughed.

"I'm a volunteer here now. For a month or two. The hospital needed more workforce and you're not the only one around here who can do medical jutsu." She shrugged again.

"And where is Sasuke?" Ino smiles wickedly.

"I don't know. Maybe where he always is."

"What? You mean he left again?" I said with no hope in my voice. Ino raised her eyebrows at this. Then looked at me, then she buried her face in her hands with a long exasperated sigh.

"You are so naïve indeed, forehead. Sasuke has been by that bench for…I don't know. For a while maybe. People have been seeing him. It's a surprise you didn't know."

"What? What's he doing?"

"Waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Ino rolls her eyes.

"Waiting for a naïve girl with a large forehead." I paused. Ino has got to be kidding me.

"Ino stop kidding around." She threw her hands up.

I was running. I could hear Ino's protests. But I didn't care anymore. I was a medical ninja, I'll be damned before a little fainting stopped me.

I ran and ran. People looked around. I was barefoot. I didn't care. I needed to know what was going on.

I went back to the place. Our place.

And he was there. Seeing him made my heart beat faster, my chest heaved in and out. He looked at me, and stood up.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked. I fought every urge and whisper in my mind telling me to hug him, run to him and tell him that I'm here.

He looked surprised since I got there. He looked at me, lingered and then closed his eyes.

"Sakura, I was waiting for you." Every bone in my body felt slump. I wanted to collapse. But I didn't. I stood my ground.

"Why?" I managed after a few hushed breaths.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Why didn't you find me then? Why did you wait here?" He looked at me with longing eyes.

"I couldn't find you. Konoha has changed. I went to your house, and I—you weren't there." He closed his eyes as he opened them, I felt so weak.

"I thought you might go here, so I waited." He said.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"It doesn't matter. I just wanted to talk to you." I was a mix of disarray, disaster and chaos.

"So you make me faint again? Is that how you talk to people, Sasuke?" My voice broke, but I fought my tears. He didn't answer. I opened my mouth to protest.

"Sakura. I want to go home." He says finally. This time the tears just poured. I looked at him, like I was that child again, that wanted nothing but his attention. I was helpless around him, as I was helpless now.

So I knelt down, but I didn't reach the ground. He was there, he caught me.

That was Sasuke Uchiha.

All he did was leave me. Hurt me.

But he was there whenever I was falling.

"Sakura," he whispered as he brought me back up. I grabbed his shirt. Steadying myself. My tears still fell.

"You're home now." I managed, barely a whisper. But he smiled. And that was all I ever needed.

"I am." I cried on his shirt. I didn't even care anymore. I hugged him like life itself. And he held me back, his right hand hugging me so tightly you wouldn't even notice he was missing an arm.

That moment was just complete bliss and complete confusion. I felt so many things. But it didn't matter. He was home.

He was finally home.


End file.
